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About Psychology

Ethical & Data Availability Issues

Scientific progress is maintained by collegial interactions based on mutual respect, fair play, open communication, and honesty in the analysis and reporting of data. Differences of opinion on the nature of data analysis, presentation, and interpretation are common in all areas of science, including psychology. However, plagiarism of ideas, fraudulent data, and deceptive scholarship are major breeches of the scientific endeavor that will not be tolerated. Ethical sensitivity in experimentation and data collection are required for all using living organisms in research, in field or captivity. Currently all research involving vertebrate animals must be approved by the appropriate human and nonhuman animal research committees.

Availability of original data is becoming an issue in need of specific guidelines also. Many journals are requiring that original data be maintained for many years and be available upon legitimate request. Thus, students need to record data systematically in record books or print hardcopy from computer disks in a regular and consistent manner. Unless other arrangements are specifically made in writing with research supervisors, original data sets must be deposited with research supervisors before leaving the University. We also encourage early discussions with all research collaborators (including peers and faculty other than the major professor) on procedures for publication of any worthwhile results, including authorship. Grants, Science Alliance, and all who aided in the research should be appropriately acknowledged in publications.